Gravity
by Chamomile Chameleon
Summary: In a strange place, on the other side of the country, Leonardo wakes up with amnesia. Wandering without purpose, he takes refuge in the wooded outskirts of a small town. There he finds something he never knew he wanted or needed. Meanwhile back home, the truce he made with the Foot has been broken.Will he recover his memory in time to help his brothers put an end to the Foot clan?
1. Chapter 1

_The story which you are about to read has an OC which you may or may not be familiar with. Sumi, who is the TMNT's mother. To learn more about her check out the short story "Motherhood". Thank you._

* * *

Everywhere you look it's black. No sounds are drifting through the air. It's all nothingness, until he walks in. The teenage turtle goes to stand in the center of your sight. A weak smile begins to widen on his face. Words from his inner thoughts echo all around but not one is uttered from his mouth. This is what he's telling us.

"For as long as I can remember, we've been four brothers… Our mother and father love us. Even though we live what you might call a 'sheltered life', we have been exposed to some pretty good… and some pretty bad experiences."

Now the turtle is growing rapidly older. Seven years changes him. He's another foot taller and has acquired many more muscles while remaining lean. The youthful light in his eyes has dulled behind the red fabric of his mask, and his smile is a forgotten memory. The past bursts into color around him.

"The greatest evil we've ever come across no doubt is the Shredder. He was the baddest of the bad. No one could touch him, not even our master could kill him… but he was past his prime. Us though, we were just getting started. He taught us all he knew, trained us all our lives. We took all that into the battle field. Only one of us though, came out on top. It went down about eight months ago, but I still wake up every morning like it was yesterday."

As we inch closer to him, we look away to the Shredder staring down at a lone turtle, his green skin drenched in rain. He draws his swords. Cold crystal drops fall from the double katana as they cross over Leonardo's face. Hero and villain bow to each other, both knowing this is the last time they'd face each other in combat. While they engage each other, Raphael's narrative thunders above them.

"I wasn't surprised that Leo was the one who took him down. He was master Splinter's little mini-me after all. No matter how much sensei loves all of us, I can't help feeling that he's the proudest of Leo. Not to brag or nothing, but I'm the strongest. Leo on the other hand is the smart one. Not book smart like Donny is, but he's good at putting all the pieces together and making them work for him. It's like he's always five moves ahead."

The final blow is taken through the gut. The Shredder grabs the blade piercing him, looking hatefully through narrowed eyes at his foe. Leonardo stares back, his face blank. Behind him his three wounded brothers move in slowly, hardly believing their eyes.

"My ninja will come after you and yours. None of you will escape my revenge," the Shredder hisses between bloody gnashed teeth.

Leonardo is without words in this timeless moment. It didn't bring the relief he'd hoped it might. The Shredder's threat was solid. Every foot ninja would be looking for them, most of them very formidable too. The fight of their lives was over, but the war would continue.

"Your ninja…" Leonardo says finally, his throat dry. "Your ninja may try to take our lives, but nothing can take away the bond of this family. Together we are strong. We will prevail in life… and death."

This is all he can say as Oruko Saki dies. His words sound strong and rings true, but deep in his heart he is shaken.

The past dims like a candle burning out. We're surrounded by black once more but Raphael is still there, staring as if it hadn't.

"The next five months were a nasty uphill fight. We were only four guys, four brothers, but we took out every foot ninja that challenged us. Eventually the Shredder's daughter had to call a truce. In other words, surrender. To this day I wish Leo hadn't taken that handshake, but he was right. We're not getting any younger, and if we want to make it past thirty, it would help if the Foot wasn't always on our backs. He's also got this weird idea that Karai's going to turn the Foot around. Yeah right. I'll believe it when I see it.

"It was a long time before any of us could even sleep for four hours straight. There was still so much... tension. Everyone was on edge. Leo especially, but he went on playing fearless leader like always. Maybe that's why I felt so angry with him. I got it in my head that we'd been better off killing off every last foot ninja. I was convinced that I hated my brother. For the record I don't, but for a while it seemed real. We fought at every turn, tooth and nail over the stupidest stuff. It was out of control. I must have convinced Leo too. He left home three days ago… and hasn't come back yet."

That is the end of his story thus far. To say anything more is too painful. We listen to his faint footsteps as he walks away, leaving like the last rays of light falling behind a mountain.

* * *

Cool air blew on his face steadily. His half conscious body was being shaken and bumped by the wooden floor below. A groan came out of his mouth but it was barely heard over the train tracks. _Ugh, what's going on? …Where am I?_

The confused turtle sat up in the old train car full of crates. In routine panic he rushed to the door and pushed it open. Pines and oaks and other trees were flying by. The smell of fresh rain on its way drifted in as a new scene came to his sensitive eyes. A large open field pushed the wooded area aside. A large ridge crawled up in the distance. It was dull in color under the beaming morning sun. Across the field was a two lane country road. A single red truck was driving by with the windows down and the bass up. All the music he could make out from the train was, "… you get a line and I'll get a pole. We'll go fishing in the crawfish hole…"

He knew that this wasn't right. He looked over himself and knew what he was, knew he wasn't normal and knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but not why. A deep sorrow burrowed itself in his chest. Weakened from his despair he sat down, hanging his legs off the train as the woods came rushing back. The train brushed against some tree branches, shaking loose drops of dew. They hit his paling face, cooling his flushed cheeks. Only one thought consumed him. _Where do I belong?_

It was getting dark when he decided he'd had enough of trains. He jumped off and rolled into a grassy ditch. When the train went by he crawled out cautiously. There was a dirt road near by that crossed over the tracks. All down the dusty, brown path were small houses and a few cow pastures. He could get some warm clothes from one of them. He would definitely need food or money to buy it, so he set out towards the nearest home, keeping close to the woods behind it. It was a simple little place with a fenced in yard and a play set. However the slide was rusty and the swings were gone. This could mean the children were grown and it was just some elderly people living there. Also, that it might be abandoned. Not a sound came from inside as the turtle cased the house. There didn't seem to be anyone there to his relief. His conscience convinced him not to take any money, but he could find some clothes and a blanket at least. Surely they could part with those.

"How should I get in?" he whispered to his self.

To his surprise the back door was unlocked. Without over thinking it, he went inside.

Nothing in the house was on save the old television with the volume low. The living room looked like the 60's in color and style. The furniture was covered in plastic and a thin layer of dust, with the exception of one old wooden rocking chair with a blue padded seat. There was a basket beside it full of magazines, books, yarn and needles. Over the plastic pink sofa there were a ton of pictures on the wall. In all the photos there was only one person who was constant. She started out as a young bride with her groom in a black and white world. As time went on she grew older with her husband until he disappeared. Before that happened there was a son. After he grew up there was a wife and daughter too. Obviously the girl was adopted. He drew this conclusion by her asian ethnicity in contrast to her caucasian parents'.

In the most recent pictures, there was only the old woman and her granddaughter, grown up now. In the last little wooden frame they were in front of a birthday cake with a single candle.

There wasn't a lot of family left on this wall. This woman's husband, son and daughter-in-law stopped showing up in the pictures. All she seemed to have left was this girl. Maybe it was best just to leave her alone.

Before he could the lights switched on. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw the old woman. She stood there in a long pink nightgown with white polka dots. In her shaking hand she had a broom. Her green eyes widen as the long, thin white bangs fell across her forehead. Quickly she swatted them out of her face, as if he would attack to the second she wasn't watching. Under her long nose her mouth hung open. Raspy breaths came in and out as she tried to scream.

The turtle raised his hands and tried to say something, but she found her voice and squealed.

"Eeeeeeeek! Git! Git! Git outta mah house ya abomination!"

Now his mouth was hanging open. This woman was afraid, but at the same time she coming at him head on? With a broom stick no less! While he stood stunned still, she whacked him over and over.

"Hey! I'm not going to hurt you," he yelled.

"Then git out uv mah house!"

With not a second to spare he did as she said, running at top speed. She watched him leave from the front door, shaking her broom and saying, "An' stay out!"

It was almost laughable, if he hadn't have just scared the woman so badly.

"Better not rip her off," he muttered to himself.

Just as soon as he was gone she ran back in and headed straight to the phone. "Hello police? Sum big green thug just broke inta mah house."


	2. Chapter 2

It was the end of a long day when Anne got home. She dragged herself inside and shut the door with her back. She remained there, leaning against it as she released a long-held breath. All of a sudden she remembered her vomit stained apron, the subtle smell drifting up to her nose. Quickly untying it, she pulled it off in frustrated haste. Then she flung it angrily on the coat stand. The last bit of her weekly budget of energy was officially drained, she sank to the floor, resting her arms on her knees. Depressed, wrapped up in heartache, she wondered about her present situation. _Is this my life? _Falling into despair, she didn't notice her favorite godchildren jumping her.

"Aunt Annie! Aunt Annie!"

Anne smiled and snatched them both into a bear hug, a tear each dangling on the corners of her eyes. Sucking them up, she asked, "How are my little munchkins?"

The first, the boy, piped up, his red curls dancing over his forehead as he squirmed. "We're okay!" The next, the girl, asked, "How was your day?"

"Good, good. Where's your mama?" Anne replied, looking around the room.

A soft, tender voice called out almost lyrically, "In the kitchen Annie!"

Anne gentle shoved from the kids from her lap to join their mother in the kitchen. Her best friend, Martha Davis, was at the stove, stirring a pot of spaghetti noodles. She turned her head back to smile before going about her work.

"I hope you're hungry for a little Italian," she said.

Anne dropped herself down at the little round table with a relieved huff. "Starving." The stressful day shrunk under the other problems in her troubled mind. Meanwhile the red-headed children ran about the living room noisily. Even though the kids' squeals and laughter wasn't bothering her, Anne's expression was still strained. Assuming that her children were to blame, Martha went to the wide doorway and yelled, "Y'all better calm down in there by the count of three or so help me...!" Without even having to count, both the children went running into their room quietly, giggling under their breath.

"They're alright Martha," Anne sighed, trying to wipe the expression off her face. "It's just been one hell of a day."

Martha didn't reply at first. Arms folded, standing still, she kept her eyes on Anne's. When her friend didn't add on to her statement, she had to pull her self away to take the rolls out of the oven. The magnetic timer on the fridge had been letting her know to do so for about two minutes. She shut the shrill sound off with one forceful tap on the start button. Then she went to the table and sat right next to Anne. "Okay, tell me all about it." Anne couldn't help but smile, grateful for the sisterly concern in her friend's eyes.

Before she could say anything, her cellphone rang. She thought it strange, because, by the ringtone, she knew it was her grandmother. She never got any calls from her grandmother after nine. That was her bedtime. Anne immediately dug it out of her dress pocket and pressed accept.

"Granny?" she said worriedly. "What's up?"

"Annie!" the elderly woman replied. "Sumthing just broke inta the house!"

Anne shot up out of her chair and shouted, "What?! Did you call the cops?!" Her grandmother assured her that she had. "They're here now. Ah just wanted ta let you know everything's alright. It didn't take nuthin' though. Strange, ain't it?"

Automatically something she said stuck out to Anne. She asked, "Wait... what do you mean by '_something_' and '_it_'?"

"Ah didn't tell em," her grandmother whispered. "Because they'd think ah need ta be in a home."

"Tell me granny," Anne replied. "I won't tell anyone."

There was a long pause between them as her grandmother said goodbye to the two officers. After she heard the long creak of the door closing and the soft *_click_* when it was shut, she got the most shocking answer of her life. "It wuz a big green turtle. And it could talk!" From what she'd just heard, Anne was inclined to believe that her _beloved_ granny did belong in a home.

It took her nearly five minutes to process it. "Granny, I'm coming right over."

* * *

The moon was full, half covered by a thin gray cloud drifting by. As he made his way up the ridge, the turtle pulled the collar of the brown coat up. It was a little chilly tonight.

He had found a more well-to-do house with a small family. No one heard him sneak in or out except their cat, but that hadn't been a problem. Fortunately for him it was friendly. A few strokes on the head was all it took to keep it quiet.

He looked up again, admiring the stars through the tree branches. It was quiet and peaceful tonight. There weren't many animals around. The nearest house was miles away. From the top he could see a long stretch of mostly unoccupied land. There were a few tiny lights scattered at the cleared edge of the property. Three trailers and one two-story house on top of a hill.

He sat down against a tree and stared at them for a while. Again he wondered, _where do I belong? _He rolled out the blanket he'd taken and wrapped himself up. His feet were warm inside the hiking boots, although they were a bit tight.

Before he left, he snagged some biscuits and a couple of apples. He reached in the pocket his new jeans for a penknife and sliced up an apple.

He felt terrible about stealing, but they wouldn't miss these things much. Well, maybe the father would miss his knife quite a bit. It was nice. Someday, the turtle decided, he'd return it when he didn't need it anymore. For now he had to figure out what to do. He didn't even know who he was. Plus, it wasn't like he could go asking around. For now, he'd stick around the area until he was on his feet. Apparently, before he woke up on the train, he'd just been doing something very taxing. He was exhausted and felt a little feverish.

After he ate his apple, he got comfortable and pulled his black toboggan down over his eyes. Only a few minutes later, he was asleep.


End file.
